I believe that the proposal to close more Garda Stations in 2012 is an outrageous and illogical one. Minister Shatter at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Annual Conference questioned the need for the current number of stations across the country. Minister Shatter stated that he has directed the Garda Commissioner to again review the 703 stations across Ireland to determine where further cuts can be made.

I have no doubt that rural stations will be adversely affected by these closures which will amount to another governmental attack on the viability of rural life and rural communities. 

While the exact details of the stations that will be in line to close are not yet available I am concerned that smaller, rural stations that may only be manned by one Garda or may only be open on certain days will be in line for cutbacks. The Government since coming to power have shown a complete lack of regard for rural life and I fear that the approach taken to Garda Stations will show a similar disregard. Since the last General Election we have seen countless attacks on services in rural communities. This is particularly evident in this constituency, hospital beds have been lost, elderly services have been pillaged, rural dwellers face increased charges and taxes, rural schools are under threat and now it seems rural Garda stations will meet a similar fate.

It seems that the Government have no concept of rural life and the needs of a rural community. Rural Garda Stations are an essential support and service to such communities.

While I accept the Minister’s argument that transport and communication has moved on and developed since the foundation of the state, it must be stressed that crime too has moved on, become more complex, and is increasingly difficult to control. I would argue that now more than ever there is a greater need for Garda Stations to remain open and for Gardaí to be clearly evident in all communities. Indeed the AGSI President has himself recognised this, as has an appraisal by the Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US Government. A report undertaken by this Council found that policing in Ireland has been detrimentally impacted by the cuts inflicted on An Garda Síochána.

 The Minister himself only a few short months ago detailed a significant rise in the incidence of burglaries in 2011. Rural areas were particularly badly hit over the winter months with a huge increase in crime and burglary. These are communities where crime rates would previously have been so low as to have almost been non-existent. These communities are now seeing crime become more prevalent and there is considerable unease in these areas. Rural Garda Stations are therefore more important than ever to police these communities and ensure that residents feel safe and that crime is kept low.

An Garda Síochána have already had to shoulder the burden of savage cuts and a lack of new recruits. They are doing a stellar job in continue to police our towns and villages despite the reductions to their numbers. Their reward is to be informed that more stations will be closed.

At present I am making enquiries not alone to Minister Shatter, but also to the Garda Commissioner on this matter. I am very anxious to ensure that all stations in this constituency are protected into the future.

I wish to address the massive deluge of media coverage and political comment relating to me and the report of the Moriarty tribunal. I am greatly troubled by the extent and nature of reckless and irresponsible comment emanating from various political and media sources. I wish to set the record straight.

The Moriarty Tribunal did not make any finding of corruption in relation to the second mobile phone license process; nor did the Moriarty Tribunal find that Esat Digifone was not the deserving winner of the license competition. I was not declared corrupt by the Moriarty Tribunal.  The presumption of innocence no longer exists in Ireland. The most basic rights of fairness, of procedure, and due process have been trampled on mercilessly. Despite never having been charged with or convicted of any crime in Ireland, I have been roundly condemned as a convicted criminal by the media and by various political opportunists. They wish to strip me of all constitutional rights and basic dignity; both as a public representative and as a citizen.

Tribunals issue opinions only. Those opinions have absolutely no weight in law. Those opinions have no status in law. That is because those opinions do not have to be based in evidence. Tribunals do not afford persons the safety and protection of proper legal rules, principles and procedures as found in the Courts. It should be noted that last week, no less an institution as the European Commission recognised that the opinions of Irish Tribunals were not reached in accordance with due process and therefore were of no interest to them.  Yet for me the opinions of the Moriarty Tribunal amount to what is essentially a death sentence on my reputation.

I do not accept Mr. Moriarty’s opinions and I never will. I wanted to challenge Moriarty’s opinions but the reality is that I cannot challenge them and expect to succeed given that those opinions are meaningless in law. For technical reasons the report is as yet untested but I do expect that the Supreme Court will have an opportunity to pronounce on the workings and output of the Moriarty Tribunal.

The Moriarty Tribunal issued an opinion last year that I delivered the second mobile phone license for Esat Digifone. This opinion was completely false. That Tribunal heard evidence on the license process for 10 years. Not a single person in that process from the 17 Civil Servants to the team of Danish Consultants that designed and conducted that competition gave evidence that I interfered in that process in any way. There simply was not one iota of evidence from anyone to say that I even attempted to interfere with the process. But the Tribunal simply ignored all sworn evidence and came up with the opinion that I delivered the license to Esat Digifone.

I received no payment or benefit from Mr. Denis O’Brien in relation to the second mobile phone license. Mr. Moriarty has created a false impression in his report that I was the net beneficiary of approx. €900,000 arising from two property transactions and a loan agreement-This is not a truthful or accurate presentation of the facts. The Tribunal’s report is laden with theories about proposed transactions and intended transactions and reversed transactions. The fact is that absolutely no money accrued to me from the transactions referred to in this report. The trail of documentation both legal and accountancy confirm this as fact.

I believe that recent comments made by various individuals which have sought to criticise the Gardaí for apparently not properly pursuing their inquiries are wholly disingenuous and completely improper. Those crawling over one another to stake a claim to the high moral ground would be well advised to stop attempting to interfere with the independence of the DPP and the Gardaí and also stop seriously prejudicing my right to due process.

I have not been approached by any agency of the State in connection with the opinions of the Moriarty Tribunal. Those baying for blood in the media ought to consider that perhaps those proper legal authorities recognise that the opinions of the Moriarty Tribunal are precisely that; opinions. Those independent authorities may clearly see that actual evidence of any wrongdoing on my part relating to the Moriarty report is practically non-existent and that criminal charges could not possibly be sustained.  The Gardaí and the DPP operate in accordance with due process. They must follow rules. They must proceed in accordance with proper evidence and standards of proof.

I also wish to address the rabid and blatant agenda driven coverage of the Sunday Independent. For three weeks in a row now, this paper has engaged in delivering some of the most bile-infused and personalised coverage ever seen in Irish media. Due to my circumstances I find myself being used as a pawn in an obvious campaign designed to somehow disrupt a potential take-over of Independent group. This is “payback” time of a different sort, but the modus operandi is the very same as applied before the general election in June of 1997.

In contrast the common decency and humanity shown to me by the people of Tipperary/South Offaly has sustained me throughout. I remain eternally grateful for this loyal support and moral encouragement. Lest there be any doubt whatsoever, I will continue to represent my constituents vigorously and to the very best of my ability. My representational rights and entitlements are constitutional and equal to that of any member of Dail Eireann. My mandate to serve as an elected representative is derived from the people of my constituency. I will not tolerate attempts to belittle my constituents by any of the self-appointed beacons of virtue and morality.

I welcome the advancements made in providing a gas link to the Nenagh area, in a most productive meeting recently held between Arrabawn Co-operative in Nenagh and the Bord Gais executive. The aim of this meeting was to determine the viability of developing such a gas line to serve the entire Nenagh area, a project which would be a huge boost to local businesses and the entire community.

 For some time I have been petitioning Bord Gais on this matter. I subsequently secured this meeting with the management of Bord Gais which took place on the 23rd of March.

Bord Gais have adopted an open and positive attitude in considering and reviewing this project and should be praised for such.

 I am pleased to say that the meeting recently held was successful and constructive. The focus was placed on both parties working together into the future to examine the viability of such a link and developing and furthering this project in the coming months. Bord Gais welcomed the submission put forward by Arrabawn and have agreed to scrutinise the figures in more detail with a view to confirming demand in the area with not only Arrabawn but also other industries in and around the town. It is expected that pending this examination they will be making a formal request for approval to the Commission for Energy Regulation in the coming months.

 Arrabawn is one of the largest employers in the region with over 300 employees. The Nenagh site provides numerous jobs for the locality and also serves to provide countless ancillary jobs in the provision of support services for the co-operative. There is huge potential for growth in the agri-food industry in the coming years as the milk quota system will be opening up and it is projected that milk production will greatly increase in North Tipperary. Such growth within this hugely successful company would lead to numerous new jobs coming available. However the stark reality is that Arrabawn Co-op cannot continue to compete without an alternative and cheaper source of energy. With many of their competitors across the country already benefiting from a natural gas supply this link is essential. Bord Gais have the capacity to supply such a vital amenity which would secure the continued development of Arrabawn and lead to the provision of countless further jobs and other related job opportunities in the Nenagh Area. Without a gas supply these jobs will be lost.

Such an energy link would be of untold benefit not alone to Arrabawn but to all businesses, retailers and industries across Nenagh. The provision of such a link would provider a cheaper, cleaner source of fuel therefore reducing business costs and helping to make our businesses more competitive. In these difficult times I believe that every possible avenue must be examined to help our employers. We must create conditions that encourage and help these businesses to increase competiveness, boost turnover and subsequently to take on more employees. It is essential for the future of Nenagh, to create and advance jobs, to secure a cheaper source of energy.

I will work closely with all my Oireachtas colleagues in the constituency to ensure a successful outcome to this energy line application on behalf of Nenagh Industry.

I am delighted that  the newly completed “Jimmy Doyle” road will open today, the 2^nd of April. This road will be of enormous benefit to the people of Thurles and the surrounding areas by providing a vital link from the Nenagh Road to the Templemore Road.

This road has been a priority of mine for a long number of years.

It has been a long and tedious journey. After all the trials and tribulations it gives me great political satisfaction that opening day has eventually arrived.

It brings me immeasurable pleasure to see this road open to use for the people of Thurles. After many years of effort this project has now come to fruition and will provide a vital infrastructural link that will benefit the area for countless years to come. The fact this road is named after one of our all-time greats, Mr.  Jimmy Doyle, is the icing on the cake.

During my time as Minister I flagged the need for this road and brought it to the attention of the relevant officials to ensure it was given priority status. Since that time I have been continually striving to ensure that this road project progressed and that funds were available at all necessary stages. While it has taken many years and we have had to overcome countless obstacles in bringing the road to a stage whereby it can be made available to the public, I am hugely confident that it will now alleviate a huge portion of the traffic congestion through the town and will also tackle the pedestrian safety issues highlighted by the Council in the early 1990’s.

Essentially this road will now serve to siphon off a large portion of traffic travelling through the town, thereby reducing delays for motorists. Traffic congestion has been a considerable problem in Thurles over the last number of this years and this road will go some way toward easing that problem.

I would like to commend and applaud all those who have worked tirelessly on this project over the years, particular Council officials and engineers for their proficiency and knowledge in advancing this project. Iarnród Éireann must also be commended for facilitating the fly over bridge.